My second chance in a strange reverse world!

After attempting, but ultimately failing, to devise an explanation for the vast sum of money before my eyes, I casually mentioned that I was going out with some friends.

"Will you go out? With whom?" asked Luna quickly.

Before I could respond, Nola exclaimed from the couch and answered on my behalf. "He's going to the mall with his friends. I'll drop him off at Peyton's house; his father will look after them."

"Will you give me a ride?" I asked, somewhat confused by her nod. "But it's not that far... I can take the bus."

Nola shook her head from the couch, continuing to shout for us to hear. "I'll give you a ride!"

It seemed she was determined in her decision, so I simply shrugged in response. “Ok.”

I didn't have much of an appetite, but breakfast was hailed as the most important meal of the day, or so they said. So I settled for a bowl of cereal and milk, eating in a regular manner. Wanting to make the most of my time, I emulated Luna by multitasking—eating while meticulously going through every folder on my cell phone, hoping to uncover any hidden information.

From the searches on his record, it was evident that this guy was undeniably enthusiastic about attending University of Polarica. He had diligently researched scholarships, pricing information, and more. I must admit, I could actually understand him.

That university appeared remarkably modern and expansive, not to mention the multitude of programs it offered—there were so many that I eventually stopped reading. Nevertheless, I find myself questioning my self of this reality decision to choose this reality, as he didn't explore any other alternatives to this university. Based on what he saw, this was basically a Harvard on steroids in terms of entrance requirements.

It almost seemed impossible unless you were a millionaire or an exceptional genius in some way, neither of which applied to this guy based on what I had gathered. And I wasn't a genius or anything of the sort either, so during breakfast, I devoted my time to exploring alternative nearby colleges that I could realistically gain admission to.

I mentally recalled the best options, swiftly cleaned my plate in the dishwasher, and I went to Nola.

"Shall we go?" I asked, looking curiously at the screen.

She nodded, pointing her hand at the television. "Yes, just wait a bit, the chapter is about to end."

I shrugged and patiently waited, just as a girl plummeted from a tower and the screen abruptly went black. Nola rose from her seat.

“Goodbye Luna!” I said.

Luna looked a little surprised, but immediately raised her small hand to shake it. “Goodbye, Alex!”

I followed Nola to the garage. We had two cars in it: one belonged to Nola, and the other, I assumed, belonged to my mother. They weren't modern, or at least they didn't look that way, but I had underestimated them based on their appearance. Nola didn't use a key to unlock or open the door; instead, she simply placed her hand on it, and I guessed that she radiated her essence.

"Come in." She said, as the door opened for me.

Quickly, I got in, and Nola settled into the driver's seat. With a quick glance at the vehicle's dashboard, I could tell that it was surprisingly advanced for its time—I had completely underestimated it. It featured a touch screen that illuminated as soon as Nola seemingly activated it. The car made barely any sound, resembling that of an electric vehicle, and there were no buttons or keys to start it.

Once again, the essence worked its magic. If it functioned as I believed, it provided a rather simple method to deter theft. After all, it was triggered by a person's essence. Although that caused some inconvenience, in my opinion, it was nothing too significant.

I fastened my seatbelt, and we started moving swiftly. Leaning back in my seat, sleep began to lure me in. I was one of those people who found being in transport immediately soothing, like a lullaby.

I didn't see any major disadvantages, it even had some advantages to sleeping in the car. If you have a fatal accident you won't feel fear before you die, for example.

Just when it seemed like I could finally get some rest, Nola interjected, "You're just going to the mall, right?" She posed the question right before I could close my eyes.

"Yes, I think so. Why?"

She hummed and made a rhythmic sound with her fingers on the steering wheel. "You're just going with Peyton and Kevin?"

"I don't know...but I'm not going anywhere else outside of the mall if that's what you're worried about."

I could relate a little to her questions. There was a time when I would ask Luna these questions myself.

Nola sighed in response to my words. She continued to gaze straight ahead, and her right hand transitioned from the gearshift lever to... my thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry... I know it must be annoying for me to ask you so many questions... but there has been a recent increase in kidnappings and such," she explained, her voice filled with concern.

I skillfully ignored her hand resting on my thigh, although it became increasingly challenging as she subtly moved it further up the inside of my leg. I squirmed slightly in my seat. "D-don't worry, I genuinely appreciate your concern," I assured her, trying to maintain composure.

"Good." Nola nodded with a smile and concentrated on driving with her left hand, her right hand was still on my thigh and she didn't seem to have any intention of removing it from there anytime soon.

I felt... strange. Not in a bad way, but even in our previous world at the time we got along we didn't have such 'intimate' physical contact so to speak. It was just limited to hugs.

I chose to temporarily overlook her actions, not wanting to create any tension in our relationship by addressing it. Instead, I focused on the view of the houses gliding past as we traveled along the road. I observed men pushing baby carriages, women donning construction helmets while working on different construction sites, and couples engaging in playful flirtation. In these encounters, the men sometimes played coy, while the women wore nervous smiles and attempted to make advances.

I could be adjusting, but I knew I wouldn't be completely comfortable with this type of environment until I spent at least a month in this world.

After a while of noticing small differences with everything. Even the air seemed cleaner somehow. Nola gave my thigh a light squeeze, which made me look at her out of the corner of my eye. She didn't seem to notice, or so it seemed, but there was something strange about it all. I could only sigh and ignore it again. It would be harmless if I said so.